n e w s l e t t e r - Old Bexleians

O L D B E X L E I A N S ’ A S S O C I A T I O N
OBA
January 2000
ISSUE 3
PERSPECTIVE ON PARIS
Alan Sawyer (77-84) writes as
follows : I moved to France
in February 1993, five
years after finishing my degree
course in European Business at
Trent Polytechnic. The course
incorporated a year’s study and
work placement in Toulouse and
Paris, so moving back there was
one of my main goals. Having
worked since graduating in 1988
in a series of disappointing, deadend
jobs during which time I
often questioned the value of an
honours degree for all that it was
doing for me career-wise, it was
high time to take the leap and put
to the test the much-bandied
notion of a Single European
Market.
I embarked immediately on an
intensive 4-week TEFL course
(Teaching English as a Foreign
Language) in Paris, reckoning
that this would be my best chance
in the short term of gainful
employment. I had no aspiration
to teach though so set about
applying for advertised jobs and
approaching employment
agencies.
Alan Sawyer in front of his Paris offices
n e w s l e t t e r
I was computer literate, had
a degree in business and spoke
fluent French : I was confident
of being snapped up. Sure
enough, several agencies were
very interested, but not
primarily because of my
qualifications and linguistic
skills, but rather due to the fact
that English was my first
language. Paris is teaming with
British and American
companies, and very shortly I
was placed on a fixed-term
contract with British Telecom
in the heart of the business
district, La Défense.
The Single European
Market did not seem to be just
a fallacy then, with free
movement of workers between
states. After only three months,
I was in employment, with the
chance of the contract being
extended, or possibly being
made permanent. What I didn’t
reckon on however was the
monster that is French
bureaucracy.
France portrays this image
of a nation which seemingly
thumbs its nose at the
establishment, of a Latin, fiery
temperament which manifests
itself in their often brusque
manner of speaking, and
conversely of a nonchalance
for mundane affairs which is
displayed in the famed Gallic
shrug. It is somewhat of a
paradox therefore, when it
comes to red tape, what
sticklers the French are for
doing things by the book, and
a very long-winded, dull book
of very little merit it is too.
I speak of the dreaded Carte
de Séjour, or resident’s permit
which is the bane of any potential
work-seeker in France, EC
nationals included, and entails
the compiling of a plethora of
documents from birth certificate,
marriage certificate, passport,
and official translations thereof,
photographs, electricity bills, tax
forms, pay slips, social security
forms, and a declaration from
your employer.
I finally secured the
precious 5-year permit after the
third attempt and that after
being turned away firstly after
two hours of queuing for them
to reject my application and
secondly after obtaining only
an interim 6 monthly card. It’s
up for renewal next month, so
fingers crossed.
Despite the trials and
tribulations inherent in setting
up in another country and the
administrative nightmare that
it entails, six years down the
line and I don’t really feel that
the novelty has worn off. In
that I mean first and foremost
the challenge and satisfaction
in working each day in a
foreign language, immersing
oneself in the culture and
establishing a life away from
the familiarity of home.
In truth I did tire quickly of
scaling the Eiffel Tower and
visiting all the other landmarks
on numerous occasions during
the first year when people
came to visit, but fortunately
that has since been curbed.
Now weekends are spent
either jumping on a TGV and
visiting some favoured areas of
France, the Cote d’Azur,
Burgundy, the Alps and my
former college town of
Toulouse, or just staying put in
Paris and sampling its wealth
of entertainment.
Having immersed myself for
so long in the French way of life
I do frequently like to surface to
fulfil my need for Anglo-Saxon
pursuits, such as selecting from
the vast array of films
continuously showing in their
original version in the city’s 300
or so cinemas. There has also
been an English comedy circuit
for several years now which has
attracted the likes of Eddie
Izzard, Jeremy Hardy, Graham
Norton, Ardal O’Hanlon and
many up-and-coming comedians
poached from the Edinburgh
Fringe Festival to come and do
the Paris gig.
Irish pubs have long been
present in Paris, but now
English pubs are becoming
more numerous, either microbreweries
producing their ownbrand
bitters or importing from
breweries such as Suffolk’s
own Adnans. Now I personally
like nothing more than to sit at
a pavement café with a large
café-creme or demi-pression
watching the world go by while
(continued back page)
1

2
EDITORIAL
“I don’t know, dear, what to write
in my editorial!” “I expect you’ll
think of something but, whatever
you do, dear, don’t write in an exheadmasterly
way!”. “O.K.,dear,
here goes...”
The beginning of a new year - let
alone a new century and
millennium - is usually an
occasion for reflecting on the
past and for looking forward,
hopefully with eager anticipation,
to the future.
[“How’m I doing, dear ?” “Well,
dear, I did warn you!”]
This newsletter does both : you
can read here of past
achievements, of changes in
direction of lives and careers, as
well as of hopes for the future;
and in his millennium message
the Headmaster outlines some of
the exciting changes - and
challenges - facing BGS in the
very near future.
And just over the horizon we can
look forward to celebrating the
School’s 50th. anniversary, in
2005 - one very good reason for
trying to re-establish contact with
as many former pupils and
members of staff as is possible.
There’s news of a very successful
Annual Dinner - which has
prompted the booking of a larger
hall at the same venue for next
year - and of a Reunion planned
for the 1970 intake; the OBA is
willing to help anyone wishing to
arrange a similar function for
other year groups.
Once again, I am indebted to
everyone who has contributed to
this edition : please do keep your
news and reminiscences, as per
John Varnham, flowing in.
[“How’d I do, dear ?” “Put the
kettle on!”]
DAVID JONES WINS
A £MILLION POUNDS
ON THE NATIONAL
LOTTERY
If this happens, all OBs will
receive a free copy of the
Newsletter for the next 10 years -
guaranteed! : if he doesn’t - and
you don’t - please tie a knot in
your hankie to remind you to
send your subscription to the
Treasurer if you wish to maintain
contact with the OBA and BGS in
this way. Unfortunately, the costs
of producing the newsletter will
necessitate limiting future
distribution to OBA members
only.....unless, as promised, DJ is
lucky. For his chances, please
contact Camelot or, better still.....
R. I. MacKinnon
Headmaster
from the OBA President -
Roderick MacKinnon
As we move into a new
Millennium, Bexley Grammar
School also approaches its
Golden Anniversary, golden
being an appropriate
description for our School
which has an impressive
record of past outstanding
achievements, is a successful
and popular School today, and,
I believe, is a School that has
bright prospects for the future.
We will move into the new
Century with a substantial
improvement in our School
accommodation. As I write we
have builders on site
constructing Music
classrooms and practice
rooms, a new Sports Hall and
a “link” building connecting
our Main Building to Jubilee.
This link building will provide
new Science Laboratories,
Technology workshops, Art
rooms and Computer rooms.
In addition the School Canteen
will be extended by converting
the existing Music Room and
covering part of the Quad. The
new buildings will
unfortunately take up the
ground presently occupied by
the Cricket Pavilion; originally
the intention was to move this
building but due to a number
of factors this will not now be
possible. However, we will be
building a replacement to be
sited just behind the cricket
nets behind the Le Feuvre
Building.
The building programme
that I have described above
will make a vital difference to
the School - we have been
coping with inadequate
accommodation for too long;
but the School is also
expanding to take in seven
forms of entry in September
2000 and we really need
further building
improvements. Plans have
Millennial Greetings
already been prepared to meet
this need with Phase II of the
building programme but as yet
funding has not been secured
for this second tranchof work
(some £1.3 million is needed.)
The various building works
go to supporting the high
quality and broad educational
provision that Bexley
Grammar School continues to
provide. Students continue to
experience sporting success
through our extensive and
strong curricular programme.
We also provide for a busy
programme of impressive
music, drama and dance
productions. The extensive
and enjoyable cultural and
sporting life of the School is of
course founded in rigorous
and successful academic
endeavours, as evident by the
quality of our public
examination results.
The School’s achievements
are made possible through the
continued support of parents,
the hard work of students and
the outstanding quality of our
School Staff; such matters
having always been particular
qualities of our School
I am very pleased to be
writing for this Old Bexleians’
Newsletter as I feel that strong
links with our past can bring
nothing but good to the School
of today and will help to
secure our future. I am keen to
support the development of an
extensive network of past
students and Staff and would
encourage everyone to get as
many ex-members of the
School as possible to be part
of our association.
from the OBA Chairman -
Robin Ackerley s.70-97
When, a little while ago, it
was suggested that I write a
letter welcoming Old
Bexleians to the new
millennium, I was filled with
misgivings. Firstly, I was afraid
I might give the impression
that I was there already,
standing on the threshold of
the new century offering
drinks to new arrivals;
secondly, I had no wish to
imply that I was an old hand at
this sort of thing.
At this point I have a
confession to make : this is the
first time that I have written a
letter welcoming ANYBODY
to a new millennium. You may
have already noticed that this
looks like the work of a novice.
What’s more as I struggle for
the next phrase, at the same
time struggling with a word
processor that insists, perhaps
with a due sense of occasion,
on typing everything in bold
(itself an indication that I am
hardly ready for the
technological miracles of THIS
century, let alone the next), I
am left with the depressing
thought that, having mastered
the art of millenniumwelcoming-letter-writing,
I
shall never get another
opportunity to exercise my
talent. [Editor - at this point
please feel free to delete the
terms “mastered the art” or
“talent”, if you consider them
wholly inappropriate.]
Before you finalised your
plans for riotous Bacchanalia
on the 31st. December, I hope
you spared a thought for the
non-millennarian : he or she
who thinks celebrating the
end of 1999 is like applauding
a batsman who has just
completed his ninety-ninth
run, and will therefore be
suspending celebration until
the end of the following year. If
you are one such, may I
suggest you read no further (a
suggestion I am sure you will
seize on with delight)...until
this time next year.
I have calculated (in all
probability inaccurately) that
some four and a half
thousand* Old Bexleians have
been created this century.
During the next century (God
and politicians willing)
productivity will have
increased to about twenty-six
thousand.** That’s a lot of Old
Bexleians - enough to form
our own private army...or a
cricket team...or credit card.
Moreover it just goes to show
what you can do with
statistics.
Have a very happy new year.
[*this figure is already well
over six thousand. **as he’s
right about his probable
inaccuracy, he’s probably
inaccurate about this figure,
too. Are there any real
statisticians out there? - ed.]

Years ago
1949-50
50
Y E A R S A G O
There was growing local
agitation for a grammar school
to be built in Bexley - the
keystone needed to complete
the educational structure : the
L.E.A. put pressure on Kent
C.C. who sought government
approval to put such a school
on its post-war building
programme.
1959-60
40
Y E A R S A G O
The school roll reached 563
and the first pupils reached the
6th. Form. 96 pupils gained an
average of 5.1 “O”-level passes.
Miss Marjorie Anderson
joined the staff-later to marry
Ron Sawyer. The school fund
was 10/- p.a. The Head was
concerned that progress was
hampered when pupils took
holidays during term time.
Two girls and a boy left school
before reaching the statutory
leaving age. There was a
shortage of Form bases as
more pupils than expected
joined the school and stayed
on. There were complaints
that airborne sound from the
Music Room interfered with
concentration in the Tower
block! Teachers had problems
parking - as the ownership of
motorcars was not as rare as
when the school first opened.
The P.A. paid for a cricket bell
and two sightscreens.
(Whatever happened to
them?) Messrs Griffiths and
Johnson produced the school’s
first major drama production
“Ralph Roister Doister” :
amongst the cast of thousandsor
so it seemed- were Clifford
Gabb-Ralph; Linda Barron-
Dame Christian Curvance;
David Shaw- Matthew
Merrygreek; and John
Combes as Gavin Goodluck.
1969-70
30
Y E A R S A G O
The Head Prefect was Philip
Hards, the Senior Prefects
Barbara Keattch and David
Mills. 85 pupils gained an
average of 6.3 “O”-level passes;
67 earned an average of 2.4 “A”level
passes. Awards - Oxford :
Norma Kean-an Exhibition to
read History at St. Hilda’s,
Geoffrey Goodwin- a
Scholarship to read Maths at
Wadham, Alan Joynes- a
Scholarship to read Maths at
Hertford; Cambridge : Ruth
Davies-a Scholarship to read
English at Girton. Graham Nash
entered the Royal Academy of
Music. Ann Williamson
produced “Pride and Prejudice”
: Lynn Sidebottom earned
plaudits for her portrayal of Mrs
Bennett as did Lynne Alport,
Miranda Kenny and Barbara
Keattch for playing the Bennett
sisters - Charlotte, Elizabeth and
Jane respectively. The Chess
club lamented the departure of
Peter Frampton-said to have
been one of the finest schoolboy
players in Kent. Janet Wilson
was awarded Fencing colours
for both Kent and S.E.Counties;
Helen Pretty gained Kent
colours and became Kent Open
Junior Fencing champion. In the
school mock election, Stephen
Nash(189 votes) won for the
Conservatives from Lynn
Sidebottom(Liberal-93) and
Edwin Booth(Labour-76). Peter
Jaques was invited to become a
member of the National
Technical Panel for Referees-the
body which decided how the
rules of Basketball were to be
interpreted at national level.
1979-80
20
Y E A R S A G O
The last year of a 5fe intake
saw the school roll rise to 862,
including 171 in the 6th. Form.
Paul Atkins was Head Prefect,
Allison Cattermole and Sarah
Cooke his Deputies. 123 pupils
gained an average of almost 7
“O”-level passes; 72 gained an
average of 3.2 “A”-level passes.
Cambridge entry : Gary Bruce
to read Natural Sciences at
Robinson College, Nicholas
Leaton Engineering at St.John’s
and Serena Stewart English at
Sidney Sussex. Claire Eveson
was a member of the English
Ladies Junior Cricket squad.
Mark Allan played football for
Kent and S.E.England Schools in
ESFA trials. Other Kent Schools
honours went to Simon Ginns
and Peter Fowler-U.19 football;
Colin Ingle-U.14 cricket; Sally-
Anne Baxter-U.16 hockey; and in
athletics to Alan Sawyer-Kent
Junior Boys discus champion
and to Glenn Anderson-Kent
Junior Boys long jump
champion. Mark Fenton, John
Harrington, John Orchard, Peter
Timmons, Michael Bartley and
Colin Decker qualified as Class 3
referees with the Kent County
F.A. Corinne Hayes represented
the Borough of Bexley at a
Young Peoples’ Parliament. The
Parents’ Association raised £2350
at their summer fete and began
work on building the 6th. Form
centre. The Elizabeth Drury
(Literary) Essay prize was
inaugurated and a painting in her
memory-by former pupil Jo
Barry-was unveiled in the
library. Robin Ackerley produced
“The Mikado” with Karen
O’Brien as Yum-Yum and Colin
Decker as Nanki-Poo; other
leading parts were played by
Richard Reader-Pooh Bah, Paul
Atkins-Ko-Ko, Nick Fromingsthe
Mikado, Sarah Cooke-
Katisha, and Joanne Penny and
Fiona Rendle as the other two
Little Maids. Years 1 and 2 had
an extra holiday on 21st. January
because of an oil shortage. In
December the OBA was reestablished-primarily
through
the efforts of Andy Leech.
1989-90
10
Y E A R S A G O
A decade of a 4fe intake had
reduced the school roll to 760.
The demands of the national
curriculum prompted a move to
an 8-period day. NC courses in
Science and Maths began in
Y1(now Y7); French and
German were given equal
status in Y1; all pupils in Y2
began courses in Latin; a PSE
programme was introduced to
all in Y1-5. At “A”-level, 70
pupils gained an average of 3
passes : Simon Hubbard earned
5 A grades and Max Pritchard 4
A grades - both entering Oxford
to read Maths and Computer
Studies/Engineering
respectively. The Head Prefect
was Chris Ball with David Jeal
and Joanne Prestidge as his
Deputies. Stephanie Brind(Y2)
was a member of the England
U.16 squash team. Anthony
Potts was in the England U.17
F.A. squad and on the books of
Tottenham Hotspur. Jennifer
Scott(Y2) represented SE
England in the English Schools’
Swimming Championships.
Jason Ricks represented both
Kent and London at
gymnastics. Matthew Rose
played football for Kent Schools
U.14. Nicola Anderson(Y2)
represented Kent in the English
Schools’ Cross-Country
Championships. The U.15
basketball team won both the
Bexley Schools’ Cup and
League titles. In the Bexley
Music Festival, the School won
the Youth Choir(U17) titlegaining
a Certificate of
Distinction; Catherine
Parsonage(Y3) won both the
Open Woodwind title, playing
the clarinet,and the U.16
Recorder title. David Lee(L6)
won the Kent Archaeological
Society’s “Young archaeologist
of the year” award; in the
previous year this title had been
won by the school’s Alexandra
Charlwood. Spencer Palmer,
Stuart Elliott and Robert
Grainger(Y4) took the top three
places in the Bexley Borough
Angling championships. Kerry
Russell(Y5) wrote an article for
the Borough’s magazine
entitled “It’s tough at the top”
i.e. an account of a day in the
life of the Headmaster. Miss
Lawson and Cavell Burchell
were “loaned” to the LEA, on a
part-time basis, to run inservice
courses for other
teachers in Bexley; Cavell, also,
visited Sierra Leone to establish
life-saving groups and
procedures on the country’s
beaches. Staff resignations
came from Derek Holbrook-
Wilson-Head of Art(joined in
1962), David Watson-Head of
Maths(1971) and Mike Welch-
Chemistry and Physics(1987).
3

4
There’s news of four of
the school’s very first
pupils i.e.those who
spent their first year at
the then Erith G.S. before
transferring to BGS when it
opened in Danson Lane in 1955 :
Pauline Collett (Mrs.Lawless)
(54-61) is on the staff of the
Mathematics Department of
K eith
Blackfen School.
Jones (54-60)
writes: After I left school I
had a couple of jobs which
helped me find my feet and then
joined the staff of William Nash
Ltd at St Paul’s Cray in December
1962. The company eventually
became the William Nash plc
Group of today and I am still with
them as Admin. Manager having
survived various job changes,
seeing three paper machines
close, a lot of my colleagues
being made redundant and the
head office moving to our present
site at Horton Kirby Paper Mills
in South Darenth.
On the family side I got
married in 1966 to a girl (Janet)
that I met at Christ Church
[Bexleyheath] and am pleased to
say that we are still happily
married with four children - two
daughters 28 and 26 and twin sons
of 20. Our elder daughter is a
teacher currently on the PE staff
of Haberdasher Askes in New
Cross and lives with her partner in
Bickley. The younger one still lives
at home and is P.A. to a partner of
Healey & Baker in London. One of
the boys is also in London and
works for Primark - the data
analyst people who supply all the
investment details. The other boy
is at Brighton University taking his
degree in Sports Science with QTS
[Qualified Teacher Status] and
when he isn’t there he works for
the Kent Rugby Development
Office coaching at schools and
tournaments.
Apart from helping on the
London Marathon I don’t have
much to do with athletics these
days. After we got married, as
Jan was a Guide Captain in those
times, I offered my
services to the local Scout Group
in Bexleyheath and then
transferred when we moved to
Istead Rise. Having held various
posts over the years I finally
proved my total insanity and
took on the role of District
Commissioner for Gravesham in
January. Jan is now very heavily
involved with the W.I. which
keeps her busy and occasionally
involves me; she is also a
member of our Scout Fellowship
so we do manage to have a
number of joint activities. I do
not see many of the ex-pupils apart
from Valerie Mills (59-66)-now
Mrs. Jennings.
R ussell
Pierce (54-61)
writes: In October, 1961,
right after graduating from
Bexley Grammar, my parents
convinced me to move with them
to the United States of America.
We spent the first year in Detroit,
Michigan where I attended one
semester (term) at Henry Ford
Community College. After
freezing through one gruelling
winter and sweating through one
sweltering summer, we packed up
all our belongings in a trailer and
drove to San Diego, California,
where the climate is much more
temperate. We chose San Diego
as my father had friends there.
We had been in San Diego just
a few weeks before I enlisted in
the US Air Force - partly because
of the training it offered and
partly to avoid being
drafted into the US Army! I spent
four years in the AF, during which
time I did basic training in Texas,
technical school in Mississippi
where I learned electronics
maintenance, then went to my
first duty assignment on a remote
radar site in central Oregon, and
for the last year and a half I was
sent to the Philippines.
While stationed in Oregon, I
met and married Paulette.
Immediately after the wedding, I
was sent to the Philippines.
Pauli (as we call her) joined me
six months later.
I was discharged from the AF
in 1966 and moved to Pauli’s
hometown, Seattle, where I took
a job at the Boeing Company as
an electronics technician. After
six months at Boeing, I decided
to take advantage of the Vietnam
Era Veterans Bill of Rights and
complete my university
education. I enrolled at the
University of Washington and
spent the next five years earning
bachelor’s and master’s degrees
in electrical engineering. During
the final year at UW, our first
child, Andrew, was born.
After graduation in 1972, we
traveled to China Lake,
California, for my first job - a
research engineer for the
Department of Defense. While at
China Lake, our second child,
Christina, was born. The work at
China Lake, electro-optics and
laser research, was very
interesting but the place, the
middle of the Mojave Desert ,
was very inhospitable. So in 1976
I took a job back at the Trident
submarine base in Bangor,
Washington. Initially, I worked
for the Department of Defense
but in 1979 I accepted an offer
with Lockheed, the manufacturer
of the Trident missile.
In 1983, Lockheed won the
contract to process and launch
the Space Shuttle. As this
presented a great career
opportunity, as well as a really
exciting job, we moved to Santa
Maria, California, where both
Pauli and I worked for the
Lockheed Martin Space
Operations Company at
Vandenberg Air Force Base. In
1986, the Challenger accident
caused another major life
change. The Air Force decided
that it didn’t want to use the
Space Shuttle as a launch
platform and closed down
Shuttle operations at
Vandenberg. Given the option of
unemployment or moving to
Florida and working in the
Kennedy Space Center, we
chose Florida.
We have now lived in Cocoa
Beach, Florida, for 12 years.
Pauli still works on the Space
Shuttle program, but last year I
took a new job managing a
program that will provide
information technology systems
for maintenance management,
logistics management, and
procurement across all the
major NASA centers. In 1997, I
earned a master’s degree in
business administration with a
concentration in technology
management from the Florida
Institute of Technology.
My spare time (what little I
WAT
Inadvertently, the names of the 1955-56
school football team were omitted from the last newsletter.
Back row l to r - Robin Denning, John Hind, David Shaw*, Peter Hillier, Dennis Knight.
front row l to r - Brian Thornton, Russell Pierce, Bev Atkins*, Robert Lewis*, Roy Palmer*,
Keith Bailey. *-lst. Years
have) is taken up teaching. I am
an adjunct professor of business
at the Orlando Campus of the
University of Phoenix. Most
weekends are spent teaching
interpersonal and team building
skills to engineering students in
universities and colleges across
the United States through a
program sponsored by the
National Engineering Honor
Society, Tau Beta Pi.
Dennis Knight (54-59) lives
in Adelaide, Australia, and is a
very near neighbour of Colin
Ellis (56-63) who is principal
of his own consultancy dealing
with management and financial
systems. Colin was a surprise
but very welcome visitor to the
recent OBA Annual General
Meeting.
Frank Eul (56-63) is farming
near Berkhamsted in
Hertfordshire.
Robert John(“Mousey”)
Lewis (55-56): it has now been
established that he did not gain
international soccer honours
with Canada. (John Collins still
feels that “Mousey” may have
played for one of Canada’s
provincial teams...the search for
information continues.)
John Varnham (58-63) writes
(see also the last newsletter) : In
retrospect, the memories of those
five years seem very pleasant and
I wonder how many other expupils
recall some of those that
sprung into my mind as I read the
[Jan.’99] newsletter :- trekking up
Mam Tor with Mr. Carr in ‘60;
sunbathing, cycling and camp
latrines in Guernsey with Mr.
Kelly in ‘59; sneaking off home
through the woods for a cuppa
and a fag during cross-country
runs; Michael Fletcher getting
caned (again); John Goulding
exacting revenge on [Robert]

Doye and [Colin] Bullen (again);
getting Miss Griffith to blush as
she explained human
reproduction to unusually-slow-to
catch-on 3rd. years; girls, all with
‘Adam’, ‘Cliff’ or ‘Elvis’ written on
their satchels in biro; Mr. Black,
with his brown suede
winklepickers; Mrs. Hill
distributing polo mints during art
exams; competing with other
boys to see who could get the
most tapered trousers and the
pointiest shoes; envying the boy
in the year above who sported a
wonderful ‘Tony Curtis’ quiff;
spending Physics lessons with
Mr.Hawkins wondering what the
hell a ‘constant of proportionality’
was! Reading through this list
after typing it, I am a little worried
by the fact that hardly any of my
memories have an educational
context but, remembering my
reports, not too surprised! I don’t
think that it made much
M artin
difference in the end...
(Sid) Carey (59-
64)-see last newsletter-
writes : I hope the OBA
Annual Dinner is a great success.
Would you please inform anyone
who remembers me that I will be
in the UK from 22/12/99 to
22/1/2000. I played for the OB
Soccer Club for a number of years
and have maintained contact with
Mick Johnson. I will be staying in
Dulwich for most of the time so
will have access to the Crook Log
pub, our old stomping ground. It
would be good to catch up with
old friends and I am online on
carwil@starwon.com.au Most
people will remember me as Sid! I
A lec
hope to hear from you.
Hithersay (59-66) is
Head of Science at Trinity
School in Belvedere :
formerly known as Picardy
School, Trinity was established in
1994 - as a C of E comprehensive
school in partnership with Bexley
LEA. Alec has written to Ron
Sawyer as follows : This is my
30th. year in teaching - all at
Belvedere, with the school in its
various guises of Picardy and,
more recently, Trinity. It’s taken
all this time for me to make the
transition from the role of Year
Head to Head of Science! Funnily
enough, for the last three years,
another Old Bexleian, Linda
Wilson[59-66], has been a
member of our English
Department.We were not only
exact contemporaries at BGS but
also in Hurst Infant and Junior
Schools. When Linda came for
interview, I was able to tell our
Head that I had known her since
both of us were two years old! I
think he eventually believed me! I
don’t know if you remember my
cousin, Les.(L.C.) Watts[56-64],
who I believe owed his nickname
of “Elsie” to your good self! He is
now a very successful Chartered
Accountant and lives in
Camberley. You will also no doubt
remember my late aunt, Audrey
Phillips, who was School
Secretary (at intervals) from the
school’s inception. [Audrey
retired in Dec.1982]. My sister-inlaw,
then Jayne Winnett[65-72],
is also an OB, as is my cousin
from the other side of the family,
Kathryn Gale (née Swan)
[67-72]. To further thicken the
plot(!), I recently met the mother
of one of my pupils and she
turned out to be Gill Gray [née
Carter, 57-64], a science
teacher at Bexleyheath School
and yet another OB : we spent a
pleasant half-hour reminiscing
about BGS! As you will guess, life
is still hectic at the ‘chalkface’ - or
perhaps I should say the ‘spirit
marker face’ - but we soldier on
regardless! [Ron’s attention had
been drawn to a reference to Alec
in one of the newsletters
produced by St. Bride’s Church,
Fleet Street.]
Derek Cotton (60-67) has for
some years been a Deputy Head
at the former Westwood
secondary school - now renamed
Westwood Technology College.
John Hazelgrove (63-70) is
teaching English at Chislehurst
R obert(Bob)
and Sidcup G.S.
Greenstreet
(63-70) - also see the last
newsletter : after leaving
BGS, Bob attended Oxford
Polytechnic (now Oxford
Brookes University) and studied
to be an architect. A doctorate led
to a life in academia and a move
to the United States where he
enjoys life in Milwaukee; he
manages to return to England
several times a year - his mother
still living locally. His university
comments as follows : Professor
Robert Greenstreet is an
architect currently serving as
Dean of the School of
Architecture and Urban Planning
at the University of Wisconsin-
Milwaukee. He specializes in the
legal aspects of construction.
Dr. Greenstreet is the author/coauthor
of six books, has
contributed to eleven other texts
and handbooks and has
published over one hundred and
thirty working papers and
articles, both nationally and
internationally. He is a Fellow of
the Royal Society of Arts and is
listed in fourteen national and
international Who’s Who
publications. In addition to being
a registered architect in the UK,
he is a practicing arbitrator and
mediator recognized in both the
United States and Europe.
He has served as Assistant
Vice-Chancellor of the University
of Wisconsin-Milwaukee,
Chairperson of the Milwaukee
City Plan Commission and sits on
the Board of Directors of the
Wisconsin Architectural
Foundation and the Wisconsin
Architectural Archives. In addition
to working on a number of national
task forces and committees, Dr.
Greenstreet has served as both
Treasurer and Secretary of the
Board of Directors of the
Association of Collegiate Schools
of Architecture. He is currently the
Past-President of this organization,
which represents the 130 schools
of architecture in the United States
and Canada. Locally, he has been
active on a number of Mayorallyappointed
task forces looking at
such issues as light rail, freeway
replacement and downtown
housing. As Dean, he initiated and
won funding for the Inner City
Studio and the Young Architects
Club, an architectural program for
city high school minority students,
both of which have received
community partnership awards.
Dr. Greenstreet was also on the
selection committee for the
architect of the new extension to
the Milwaukee Art Museum and is
currently a member of a six-person
task force charged with updating
J ohn
the City’s Zoning Code.
Moloney (65-72), after
receiving 3 copies of the
Jan.’99 newsletter, writes : I
left school and started a BSc
sandwich course in electrical
engineering at Aston University.
Unfortunately, I did not finish that
course but transferred on to a
Higher National Diploma thin
sandwich course at Medway and
Maidstone College of Technology,
which I completed in 1976.
I have been working in the
Telecommunications industry
for most of my working life and
have visited many countries,
particularly in the Caribbean
and Middle East.
I obtained a BSc honours
degree from the Open University
in 1988 after 7 years of part-time
study and I am in the process of
applying for Chartered Engineer
Alexander Stuart and
Anne Totterdell
status. I am currently working,
as a Senior Power Engineer, in
Central London for Cable and
EYS
Wireless plc. I live on the
Hampshire-Surrey border with
my wife, Sue, and my 3 sons
Andrew, Simon and Peter. And I
am still in contact with some of
my year group from BGS.
Gillian Eate (Mrs.Freeman)
(67-72) has very recently been
elected as a parent-governor at
BGS.
Alexander Stuart (66-73)
is another OB living in the
USA-in California-where he
is a successful author and film
critic and scriptwriter; he was the
executive producer of Nicolas
Roeg’s film, ‘Insignificance’.. His
first novel, ‘The War Zone’,was
written in 1989 and portrayed
adolescent anger and social
disorder : it was described by
Anthony Burgess as ‘a pungent,
shocking book, superbly written
(sharp, sensitive, bitter)...I was
horrified but seduced from first
to last; the writing is remarkable’.
This is now the subject of a major
film directed by Tim Roth and for
which Alex was the
screenwriter. ‘Tribes’, his second
novel, is described as ‘a sensuous
and electrifying work which
explores the connections
between the aggression of the
streets and the intimacy of the
bedroom, betwen violence and
tenderness, between the urge to
dominate and our need to be
loved’. Other works include
‘Glory Be’, ‘Life on Mars’ and
with his former wife, Ann
Totterdell, ‘Five and a half times
three’ - an account of the short
life and death of their son, Joe
Buffalo Stuart, who died of
cancer at the age of five. For
children, he has written ‘Joe, Jo-
Jo and the Monkey Masks’ and,
with his son, ‘Henry and the Sea’.
5

6
WATNEYS
News of two staff retirements
: Paul Abercrombie,
Modern Languages, and
Harry Slater, Maths, retired from
BGS in July 1999. Both joined the
school in 1991 and have had quite
an impact on all who came into
contact with them : we wish them a
long and happy retirement and
look forward to reporting on
future progress in due course.
Christine Webb (Mrs.Spicer)
(70-77) writes: I’m married with
three children, girls aged 17,16
and a boy of 12. I run the
household mainly but do work
part-time as an optometrist. My
husband is also an optometrist,
whom I met while training. I did
think of switching to teaching a
few years ago, but decided against
it in the end. But I have a keen
interest in education and am about
to start my first term as a parentgovernor
at the children’s
comprehensive school. Mum
[Mrs. Annie Webb who taught
French at BGS 76-78] is retired
from teaching now, although she
does some caring.
I’ve been chatting to Elaine(ex
Eastgate) [70-77] following a
chance encounter with Leigh
Trowbridge, [also 70-77] and
we thought we might try to
contact our year group with a view
to possibly having a reunion in the
late Spring of 2000. [please see
separate ad. - ed.]
Deborah Treppass (70-75)
(Mrs.Thom) lives in Edinburgh
where she nurses in the high
dependency unit at the Royal
Hospital; she has two boys aged
11 and 8.
Janet Comber
(Mrs.Robertson) (71-76) has
two daughters and has been living
in SouthAfrica for about 15 years.
Michael Welch (72-80;s-84-
90): I have been working a 12 to
14 hour day at London Transport
and am usually rushed off my feet:
I like my job but it would be nice if
sometimes I could come up for air!
I will always consider BGS my
second home [n.b. Mike now has
his own place-in Bexley]. I still
teach at the University of
Greenwich one evening a week on
the MSc Applied Statistics course
which entails preparation etc.
(Perhaps I should have given this
up but I still enjoy teaching.)
Mark Fenton (73-80): on
leaving school I began working in
Pathology at Orpington Hospital.
After a few years I moved to the
National Hospital for Nervous
Diseases and then followed a stint
at St Thomas’s Hospital in London
; I specialized in Histopathology.
During a game of football for St
Thomas’s (in goal as usual for
those who remember the Ist. Xl in
1979) I tore knee liagaments and
ended up in plaster for 8 weeks
and then decided to leave the
health service for the life of sales. I
am now National Sales Manager
for the Home Health Care Division
of Becton Dickinson UK Ltd. I kept
the spot going after having to give
up football due to the injury and
head a year as Club Captain at
Fleming Park Golf Club in
Southampton - where I live with
my wife Pauline and daughter
Sarah, aged 8. I would very much
like to hear from anyone -pupil or
staff- who was at BGS during my
time there - either via e-mail
Mark_FENTON/Europe@europe.
bd.com or telephone 01703 490100.
Fiona Strachan (Mrs.Kemp)
(73-80) has two young boys and
still lives in Bexleyheath; formerly
on the staff at Upton primary
school, she now works part-time.
Anna Harrington
(Mrs.Green) (73-80): after
graduating from the University of
Reading, worked for Westminster
city council. Living in Bromley,
Anna now works for CIPFA, the
Chartered Institute for Public
Finance and Accountacy, and is
mainly based at Charing Cross.
Druscilla Dent
(Mrs.Massie) (74-81): after
living in Scotland for some time is
now in Norfolk with husband
Adam and children Harriet,10, and
Jack,8. And not too far away in
Lincolnshire are Dru’s parents
Peter and Shirley - the latter a
tireless chairman of the school’s
P.A. in the late 70’s and early 80’s.
Andy Watkins (74-81)
writes: Dear all...Ian Watkins (76-
83) has quickly built a website for
the Old Bexleians and you can
visit it at : www.oldbexleians.co.uk
Joanne Metcalfe (74-81) lives
in Creech Heathfield, Somerset and
works in Taunton as a Senior
Executive Officer for the Charity
Commission. She is currently
reviewing aspects of charity law
Katherine Hersey (79-81):
Like my friend Anne Parsons, who
contributed to a recent edition [of
the newsletter], I attended BGS
for two years from ‘79-81 to
undertake “A”-level study. My
main secondary education had
been at Welling School. On leaving
BGS, I took the RSA Business
Studies certificate at Erith College
(now Bexley College) and then
went on to join the BBC where I
trained in PR and research. I spent
over five years with the BBC,
spending four years in News and
Current Affairs working as a
researcher for programmes
including Breakfast Time (red
sofas and woolly sweaters!),
Watchdog and Newsnight and one
year compiling news pages for the
teletext service, CEEFAX.
In 1986 I was offered the
opportunity to work “down
under” for the Australian
Broadcasting Commission
and spent six months in Western
Australia during the lead up to
the bicentennial celebrations.
Enjoying the secondment so
much, I extended my stay to a
general working holiday to
enable me to see as much of the
country as possible during the
next six months together with a
month in New Zealand where I
have family.
I returned to the UK in the
Autumn of 1988 and decided to
take a degree in marketing and
advertising. A short-term contract
for City solicitors, Stephenson
Harwood, turned into nine years
as the firm’s Marketing Manager
and gave me experience in depth
of business development, market
research and event management.
In 1998 I left to launch my own
business, Endymion Event
Management and Marketing.
Endymion manages the
business development
resource for the UK
independent law firm of a
top five global accountancy firm
and has organised seminars,
conferences, golf days and
training days as well as family fun
days and parties for numerous
plcs, professional services firms
and private individuals.
I live in Rochester with my
fiance Paul Meade (an Old
Williamsonian) who is head of the
IT department at a local secondary
having previously compiled a new school and his two lovely daughters,
information and guidance package Cassandra (9) and Abigail (6). The
for use by organisations wishing to free time that we have is spent with
apply for charitable status. She has a the girls, travelling - particularly in
daughter Katherine, aged 6, from France - walking the Kent
her first marriage and is now countryside or at home renovating
looking forward to marrying Paul our house and garden.
Rogers, also of the Charity Alison Green
Commission, in February 2000. (Mrs.Dunstone) (75-82): On
[The OBA offers its very best leaving BGS I moved with my
wishes for the future]
parents to Birmingham where I
Anne Parsons (79-81): has started work for National
recently married Andy Davis :
again, the OBA sends its
congratulations and every good
wish for the future.
Westminster Bank but after only a
year I knew this was not for me. I
then changed career completely
and went nursing at the Queen
Harry Slater
Paul Abercrombie
Elizabeth
Medical Centre in
Birmingham; it was quite a
challenge but I really enjoyed it.
On qualifying in January 1987 I
started work as a staff nurse on
the Coronary care unit at
Birmingham’s General Hospital
(that is now the Children’s
Hospital). In March 1988 I started
to train as a midwife at Cheltenham’s
St Paul’s Maternity Hospital and
qualified in August 1989. I got
married to Andrew the day after I
qualified and started working at
Wordsley’s Maternity Hospital
where I worked for six months. I
then changed to practice nursing to
work more normal hours and found
a lovely job in Great Witley in the
beautiful countryside of
Worcestershire working for 3 GPs
and where I stayed for 2 years.
In 1992 I left paid employment
to have Joshua and in 1994 I
had Zak. Andrew went to
Bible college for 3 years,
1994-97, which took us to Crewe
and then to our first church in
Kelsall near Chester where we
now live. My youngest son has
just started school so I’ve started
a counselling course possibly to
go back to work, who knows!? But
whatever, Kelsall is a lovely
village with a good tennis court,
which I make the most of, and
beautiful countryside that we can
walk into from home which we all
love to do.
My brother Andrew (73-80)
is living in Rome and working in
Munich (makes my life seem
simple!). He got married to Anna
in September in Rome. We all had
a wonderful time out there and
the guests included another OB -
Neil Curtis (73-80).
Linda Comber (73-78) works
in London and lives in Essex; for
some time she was P.A. to the
Human Resources manager of B.P.
Jane Roach (Mrs.Edwards)
(81-83) is living in Stockport,
Cheshire; she taught in and was in
charge of a nursery school before
finishing to become a full-time
mum to Catherine, aged 3, and
Sarah who is 1; but she still finds
the time to run toddlers’ groups
for her local church.
Lisa Rahim (81-83) gained a
Master’s degree in Psychology at
the University of Manchester. She
now lives in N. Ireland with her
husband, who lectures in Applied
Psychology at the University of
Derry, and their family of three
young boys.

Rachael Harrington
(Mrs.Jenkins) (77-84) has an
Honours degree in both French
and German from the University of
Edinburgh and is now teaching
part-time at Cleeve Park school in
Sidcup; she has two children-
Eleanor, aged 3, and Madeleine
born in April ‘99.
Colin Wouldham (80-88)
the Eltham captain who married
Gail (our congratulations) in June
of ‘99 -for which happy occasion all
Club games for the weekend were
cancelled!
Jane Sims married Kevin
Beerling (both 81-88) and they
have a little boy, Matthew, aged 1.
Joanne Bowen married OB
Matthew Green (both 82-89).
After graduating in Economics at
Queen Mary’s, London, Jo has
worked in the field of marketing
where, now based in Wimbledon,
she has had the opportunity to travel
extensively in Europe and North
America; and their first baby is also
expected as you read this newsletter.
Vanessa Shires and
Mark Terry (both 84-91)
announced their engagement last
summer and plan to marry in April
: the OBA offers its congratulations
and best wishes - as it does to...
Jackie Craig (85-92) and Ian
Tonks (83-90) who were married
in October ‘99.
And as it does to Jo Eskriett
and Paul Williams (both 84-91)
who have announced their
engagement; Jo, now on BGS’s
Modern Languages staff, has also
agreed to act as the OBA’s staff
representative.
Elizabeth Hedgecock (85-
92) has been seen on TV recently,
captaining the University of Salford
team in ‘University Challenge’.
Laura Bowen (78-85) trained
as an accountant. She married
Steven Webster, a fellow member
(as was Cavell Burchell s-86-96)
of West Kent Lifeguards and they
have two girls-Rebecca,5, and
Bethany,2.
After working for a London
local health authority, Laura joined
Chartered Bank where she is
engaged on computer leasing.
Sarah Harrington
(Mrs.Cottage) (80-87) trained as
a physiotherapist at the Royal
Orthopaedic Hospital,
Birmingham. She has worked in a
number of hospitals including
Great Ormond Street but has also
taken time off to undertake two
major trips around the world.
Currently at King’s College
Hospital, Sarah is expecting her
first baby any time now!
Peter Fisher (80-87) has
recently joined the staff of Dulverton
primary school where he has
particular responsibilities for P.E.;as
do many other people with BGS
connections, Peter plays cricket for
Eltham C.C. - the club for whom
“W.G.” played his last five seasons ( I
just thought I’d mention that -ed.).
Report on the Old Bexleians’
Association Annual Dinner 1999
Peter Spall Linda Jadidi Peter Scorer Mike Welch
Derek Burman Jo Eskriett Paul Williams Carolyn Atkins Pam Wellard
Andy Watkins
Peter Harding Don Wellman Marjorie Sawyer
The annual Old Bexleians
Association dinner took place
on Saturday 9th October. A
motley crew of both young and
old Old Bexleians, former and
current teachers of Bexley
Grammar and parent
governors descended upon
the Westwood Masonic Lodge
in Welling for a jovial evening
of feasting and of exchanging
reminiscences of days gone
by. Among the former staff
members were David Jones,
Ron and Marjorie Sawyer,
Robin Ackerley, Peter Jacques,
Mike Welch and John Collins.
I think all would agree that
TONY GLOVER s. Jan.’83-Dec.’99
The OBA offers its heartiest congratulations to Tony Glover who
left BGS at the end of last term and has now assumed the
Headship of the Becket School in Nottingham - a Roman Catholic
comprehensive school of over a thousand pupils. Tony came to
BGS as HOD Latin in 1983 and was promoted to a Deputy
Headship in 1994. He has had an extremely successful career at
BGS and is much admired and respected for his loyal service to
the School by pupils, colleagues, parents, Governors and the LEA
: he has our very best wishes for a rewarding and successful
career in his new environment.
they had a very enjoyable
evening and would join me in
thanking Jacki Snelling
for organising the event. We
look forward to seeing even
more of you at the Year 2000
Annual Dinner.
Jo Eskriett
7

8
The House Championship
1956-57 to 1996-97
Part I - see the May ‘99 newsletter -
provided some of the background to the 40 years of
competition before a fifth House (Mabbs) was added in
1996-97. In this period, there were well over 1000
separate competitions. The full results for 23% of these
are not known: of those that are, Collins won 24%,
Prothero 23%, Kirkman 18% and Johnson 16%. 1981 saw
the only tie when the House Champioship was shared
by Collins and Johnson. Altogether, Collins has won the
title 22 times, Kirkman and Prothero on 7 occasions
and Johnson on 5.
How to read the results
table :
Key S Senior
I Intermediate
J Junior
b Boys
g Girls
m mixed
? result / place not known
= equal position
- no place awarded
(c) cancelled
[blank] no competition
For example :
1960-61 Senior Hockey : 1-Prothero 2-Kirkman
3-Collins 4-Johnson
1956-57 Junior Hockey : a triple tie for first place but
not known who shared this with C,P.
1957-58 Tennis : combined I,J teams
1958-59 combined S,I,J team competition
1960-61 Tennis : Lower School (Y1-3) and Upper
School (Y4-6) competitions
1972-75 Tennis : Lower and Upper School competitions
(for girls) and a mixed team competition
1967-68 Stamps : 1=K,P; 3=C,J.
1966-67 Music : 1-J; 2=K,P; 4-C.
1975-76 Senior Cricket : P did not enter a team
It is perhaps strange that most of the missing results are
from the late ‘80s and early ‘90s : it is to be hoped that
some of our readers may be able to help fill these gaps.
The results table, of course, shows all sorts of
interesting trends. So,have fun proving to your
children/grandchildren/girlfriend/boyfriend/husband
/wife/partner/pub pal etc. that, in spite of what the
statistics seem to show, your own Year/age group was
the best at the time!
Or, if this is difficult, how close you were to winning (or
not coming last) and how you were robbed by some
blind referee or completely biassed* judge or via any
other excuse of which you can think.
*(It can have one s or two !)
Additional Results:
Netball Shooting 61 S: ??C=P, I: ?C?P, J: C?P=?
Netball Shooting 62 S: ??PC, J: PC??
Netball Shooting 63 C??P
Flowers 67 KJPC, 68: PJKC, 69: PJCK, 70: JCKP
Quiz 82 CPJK
Volleyball 91 ??K?
Table Tennis 91 ????
Year end
July
Comp.
Academic
Detention
Athletics
Basketball
Cricket
Cross-
Country
Football
Hockey
Netball
Rounders
Tennis
Chess
Drama
Photography
Stamps
Fencing
Badminton
Debating
Music
Toys
Speech
Art
Swimming
Winnerpoints
S IJ
S IJ
S IJ
S IJ
S IJ
S IJ
S IJ
I
J
S
IJ
b g
S J
57
????
????
(b)?PC?
(g)C??P
CP??
PC??
P??C
CP??
C=P=??
C??P
CP??
?C?P
P3936
C3740
J3716
K2852
58
????
????
(c)
(c)
(
(C?P?
(
(P?C?
C?P?
???P
C?P?
?C?P
CP??
????
C??P
?P?C
?CP?
C?P?
(
(CP??
C7992
P7531
59
????
????
(
(C??P
(
C??P
?P?C
??CP
?C=P?
?C=P?
C??P
?CP?
C??P
?PC=?
?CP?
?P?C
?P?C
P?C?
(
(C?P?
(
C9565
P9314
60
????
????
(
(C??P
(
??PC
C=?P=? PC=J=K
?C=P=?
??CP
?CP?
?CP?
?CP?
C?P?
CP??
CP??
??CP
C?P?
(c)
P??C
(
(?CP?
(
C9705
K8414
61
????
????
(
(CP??
(
??CP
CP??
?PC?
?CP?
?CP?
C?P?
C?P?
PKCJ
PCKJ
?CP?
P??C
C?P?
?C?P
P?C?
PC??
C??P
C9126
62
????
????
(
(CP??
(
(
(?C?P
(
CP??
??CP
P?C?
PC??
CP??
??PC
C?P?
PC??
?CP?
PC??
C?P?
PC??
?CP?
PC??
P??C
?PC=?
C6676
P6462
63
??P?
????
(
(PC?C
(
??CP
?C?P
P?C?
P??C
?PC?
??CP
??PC
C?P?
??CP
P?C?
C?P?
(
(PC??
(
KPJC
??C=P
PC??
J5438
C5388
P5307
K4595
64
????
????
(
(CJPK
(
KCJP
KCPJ
C?P?
P??C
CKJP
CJPK
JKCP
CKPJ
JKCP
PKJC
CPJK
JCPK
PC??
?CP?
JKCP
?PC?
CP?
C7485
P6690
K6501
J6395
65
????
????
(
(CJKP
(
C??P
P??C
C?P=?
?PC=?
(
(C??P
(
C??P
P?C?
PC??
P?C?
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10
SPORT
NETBALL - OLD
BEXLEIANS v SCHOOL -
Sat. 10th. July 1999
Whilst the OBs turned out in
force for this fixture against
staff and pupils, the School
team was weakened by players
who, unfortunately, had prior
commitments and could not
appear. Opposition was
mustered together amongst
staff, pupils and possible
future Bexleians in the form of
some of our children.
However, a great time was had
by one and all and the “Old”
Bexleians certainly felt a great
deal “older” by the time they’d
finished. The day ended with
the traditional “sticky buns” -
again, many thanks to Peter
Jaques and his family - and
with much catching up on old
times. We look forward to next
year’s fixture.
Alexa Rendell (née Holton)
The OB netball team-back row l to r-
Aileen Evans(née Woods 73-80)
Jacqui Snelling(Weller 74-81)
Margaret Mallen(Fisher74-79)
Alexa Rendell(Holton 74-81)
front row l to r - Tracey Major (Bethall74-79)
Joanne Penny(74-81), Gillian Oakley
(Bell 74-81)
Visit the Old Bexleians
online @
www.oldbexleians.co.uk
This newsletter is
available via e-mail
as a pdf file.
Contact
news@oldbexleians.co.uk
STEPHANIE BRIND (88-95)
Stephanie started to play
squash at the age of 4 and
entered her first
tournament at 7; at 10, she
won the British U.12 Junior
Closed Championship. In
1993, she represented
England at U.16 level, won the
German Junior Open title on
her first trip abroad and took
part in the World Junior
Championships. In the
following year, she won the
Dutch Junior Open title and
was runner-up in the
European Junior
Championship. In 1995, aged
17, she gained England U.19
honours and achieved a Senior
World ranking of 43. Her first
Senior cap was awarded in
April 1999 in helping England
to win the European team title.
She now has five such caps
and considers her main
achievement to date to have
been part of the team which
earned Gold for England in
the August 1999 World Cup
Stephanie in action
(Mixed) competition.
Currently, she is ranked 6 in
England and 12 in the World.
Stephanie has beaten the
World no.4-Natalie Grainger, a
former South African
international but who now
represents England. She
believes she can improve both
rankings - her aim is the no.1
spot - but knows that it will be
very dificult to overtake the
(faster) top 2 in the World, the
Australians Michelle Martin
and Sarah Fitzgerald.
The World squash tour
lasts all year round and there
are also smaller tournaments
in which she participates; the
English players take about ten
weeks off in the summer for
individual coaching and
training. In the National
League, played between
October and April, Stephanie
is currently playing for
Broxbourne(Herts); at the
same time, she plays also for
the Amsterdam team
“Dickysquash” in the Dutch
league.
Squash has taken her to
most countries in Europe and
to many other parts of the
world - Egypt, Australia,
Mexico, Singapore and
Malaysia, and the USA. In the
previous World Open, she
reached the quarter-final stage
- beating the World no.7 in the
first Round, then two higherranked
players, before losing
to World no.5, Suzanne
Horner ; in the 1999 World
Open, held in Seattle in
October, she reached the
second Round before losing to
the World no.1, Michelle
Martin, who was to lose the
final - and title - to England’s
Cassie Campion.
We shall follow Stephanie’s
future progress with great
interest and wish her every
possible success.
[Since the above was
written, Stephanie has advanced
to no.10 in the World rankings.]

CRICKET -
OLD BOYS v SCHOOL - Sat. 10th. July 1999
The OB cricket Xl - back row l to r - Ray Scriven, Greg Fayers, Paul Philpot,
Colin Wouldham, Geoff Sinden David Jones
front row l to r - Alan Overton, Clive Cushen, Don Wellman(capt), Ian Watkins, Andy Watkins
Batting first on a
beautiful July day, the
Old Boys’ Xl made
the most of the
opportunities to reach 95
for 1 at lunch with Paul
Philpot and Colin
Wouldham the not out
batsmen. In the 22 overs
games and his success was
thoroughly deserved with a
mixture of patience and
shot selection which saw
him accelerate from 50 to
100 in very quick time.
With Ian Watkins scoring a
useful 12 not out in the last
couple of overs, the Old
Boys were able to declare
after only 42 overs with a
handsome score on a wicket
of uneven bounce. For the
School Richard Hamer
bowled well, with very little
luck, and always looked
more likely to succeed than
his single wicket suggested.
In reply the School lost
Deep early on, bowled by
Ray Scriven with a ball that
came back into him, but
Ratcliffe then played with
great determination and
skill to score a well
deserved 50 before being
bowled by Clive Cushen.
Hamer was eventually
bowled by Alan Overton for
a stubborn 25 and Mackie
then joined a fine rearguard
action by the School to
score 35 and help to deny
the Old Boys victory. David
Jones bowled well,
conceding only 8 runs in as
many overs and there was
much rejoicing when Andy
Watkins eventually bowled
Bailey for 9. A fine maiden
over by Greg Fayers at the
end of the day suggested
that he should have been
allowed to bowl earlier but
overall the School were well
worth their draw, eventually
reaching 158 for 6 by the
close of play.
It was good to see some
of the usual old faces again
and a particular pleasure
that Ian and Andy Watkins
were both able to play and
that Geoff Sinden had been
tempted away from his golf
for the weekend. Geoff was
well supported by the
Sinden family who turned
out to watch during the
afternoon session.
Peter Jaques again
provided lunch and tea for
the teams and his unfailing
support on these occasions is
very much appreciated. The
date for next summer’s game
has been provisionally set for
Saturday 8th. July and any
Old Bexleian who would like
to play is asked to contact
Don Wellman at the School.
Don Wellman
OLD BEXLEIANS’ GOLF DAY
Thurs. 4th. June 1999
This proved another delightful
day - superbly organized by
Terry Cook, to whom many
thanks. In fine weather, over
twenty golfers turned out at
Poult Wood to compete for the
following the break, the Old
Boys went on to score 222
for 2 declared, with Paul
Philpot scoring 100 not out,
ably supported by a freescoring
Colin Wouldham
who made 77. This was
Paul’s second hundred in
consecutive Old Boys’
Graham Godley Shield and for
minor honours such as the
longest drive, the least number
of putts and the closest teeshot
to the pin. There was an
interesting mixture of both
former pupils and ex- and
current staff; non-OBs played
...and the latest Public Examination results
- Summer 1999
GCE “A” level :
110 pupils; A,B grades - 38%; A
- E grades - 94%; average
number of passes per pupil -
3.6; average UCAS points
score per pupil - 22.5; Angela
Saini and Fu Liang Ng each
gained 5 A grades; Daniel
Stone and Gareth Austin 4 A
grades (with the latter adding
an A grade at AS level)
GCSE :
147 pupils; with 5 or more A*-
C grades - 97.3%; passes at A*-
C - 91% of entries; average
number of passes at A*-C per
pupil - 8.1; passes at A* - 6.9%;
average points score per pupil
- 54.8 (A*=8 to G=1); number
of passes at A*,A,B - Aui-Ping
Yuen 8,1,0; Thomas Smith
6,2,1; Susan Springhall 5,4,0;
and with 5,3,1 - Priya Somani,
Morris Pamplin, Akhil Gupta.
for their own trophy at the
same time. 18 holes were
played both before and after
lunch - the better of these two
rounds, under Stableford
rules, deciding the winner.
Having been very close to
winning on previous occasions,
this year’s very worthy winner
was Greg Fayers (62-64). As
always, the day’s play was
followed by a convivial dinner
in the evening.
[n.b. see ‘Calendar’ for this
year’s date and Terry’s
contact number.]
OBA SUBSCRIPTIONS
1999-2000 Annual £5
Overseas £6
Life membership £50
Please consider supporting the OBA in this way.
A final reminder: future newsletters will be
available only to members
11

12
(continued from front page)
white-aproned waiters scurry
past, but the quintessentially
English streak in my nature
finds the former hard to ignore.
Around the corner from my
work there’s a little shop run
by a Liverpudlian grocer, lest
we not find our most coveted
foodstuffs in Marks &
Spencer, which incidentally is
immensely popular with the
French. Less popular however
is the concept of vegetarian or
vegan restaurants, which you
can literally count on one
hand. When over for visits
some friends continually have
to make do with chips and veg.
The subject of food is
always a bone of contention. It
has undeniably always been a
top priority for the French and
now in particular, when more
and more restaurants are
opening up and multinational
dishes gain a foothold, they
defend fiercely their
gastronomic inheritance. They
still harbour the sentiment that
English cuisine is a barren
wilderness (see M&S paradox
above) and that no new world
wines could ever possibly
come close to competing with
the biggest, most traditional
and prestigious French wine
producers.
Working in the music
industry, running the royalty
department for BMG Music
Publishing, France, I see
firsthand one example of this
protectiveness towards their
heritage : a directive has been
passed by the Culture and
Heritage ministry stating that
a minimum of 40% French
music should be played on the
radio in a bid to keep sacred
the language.
Last weekend I was strolling
down the Champs Elysées,
arguably one of the world’s
most famous thoroughfares,
and I saw hoardings being
removed from a building to
reveal the latest in a long line of
McDonalds, Burger Kings, and
Planet Hollywood-style
eateries. Standing shoulder to
shoulder with other buildings
of classic architecture for
which Paris is renowned, and
with the Arc de Triomphe and
the Concorde, two imposing
sentinels standing opposite
each other at either end, such
an incongruous juxtaposition
gave me a strong indication of
the prominence of the Anglo-
Saxon junk food/music culture,
and just for a moment I
perhaps started to understand
what it is they’re getting at.
[A brief ‘PS’ was added to
Alan’s letter : “I personally
would add that he is happily
married to an exquisite woman
(Staffordshire born and breded.)
and he doesn’t deserve
her - signed Clare]
Calendar 2000
February March
Tues.15 to Fri.18
“Fame” - the major
drama production
evenings : check
time with School
Office
Tel: 0181 304 8538
Sat 1
Parents’
Association
Summer Fete
Contact School
Office for times
Tel: 0181 304 8538
July
Please note these dates now : we hope you may be able to join us; further details will
appear in the May newsletter
100
CLUB
In 1984, Peter Collins (s 57-73)
offered to organise a “100 Club”
to raise funds for the OBA. After
15 years it has contributed well
over £3,750 to Association funds -
and the OBA is deeply indebted
to Peter for all of his hard work
on its behalf. The Club year
begins in January but members
may join at any time. Shares are
£5 each and members may buy
as many as they wish. There is a
guarantee that half of the income
is returned as prize money :
three prizes of £20, £10 and £5
are given in March, June,
September and December with a
special first prize in December to
bring the total allocated to half
the share income; for the last few
years this special prize has been
well over £100. From 1993
onwards the target of 100 shares
has been reached each year.
If you are able to consider
supporting this venture,
further information may be
obtained from Peter whose
details are given on the right.
OLD BEXLEIANS’
DRAMA GROUP
Fri. 24
Ten Pin Bowling
if interested,
please contact
Peter Jaques
Sat 8
If anyone is interested in discussing
the viability of setting up such a
group, please advise the editor.
Cricket and
Netball : Old
Bexleians v School
April/May
Next Newsletter to
be published
September
Sat. 30
OBA Annual
Dinner
The OBA Executive
President Roderick MacKinnon, Headmaster
Past Presidents David Jones (s. 76-95)
Christine Tadman (s.86-96)
Chairman (99-02) Robin Ackerley (s.70-97)
Secretary (98-00) Jacki Snelling (74-81)
163 Willersley Avenue, Sidcup. DA15 9EP
Treasurer (98-01) Peter Jaques (s. 61-96) 0181-850-4112
44 Dunvegan Road, Eltham. SE9 1SA
Members Peter Harding (59-66)
Paul Parkinson (73-80)
Ron Sawyer (s.56-66; 73-94)
Andrew Watkins (74-81)
Newsletter Editor David Jones
c/o BGS, Danson Lane, Welling, Kent. DA16 2BL
100 Club Secretary Peter Collins (s.57-73)
150 Winkworth Road, Banstead, Surrey. SM7 2QT
telephone 01737 352500
BGS Staff Rep. Jo Eskriett (84-91; s.97-)
June
November
Sat. 18
Quiz Night
n.b. “Each affiliated club and society shall nominate annually one of its
members as a member of the Executive.” (Constitution : 6.3)
REUNION for 1970-77 PUPILS
Fri. 2
OBA Golf Day
at Poult Wood,
Tonbridge
contact
Terry Cook -
0181-304-4762
Christine Spicer (née Webb) and Elaine Eastgate are trying to make
contact with all pupils who started at BGS in 1970 or who joined this Year
group as it moved up through the school; they hope to be able to arrange
a Reunion at the school, possibly in May, 2000. Christine may be
contacted by phone/fax 01892-836786 or e-mail christine@spicer.clara.net
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